Towel bar



, Patented July 16 1929.

UNITED STATES EUSTACHIUS W. KOERING, OF VINELAND, NEW JERSEY.

TOWEL BAR.

Application filed. June 29 This invention relates to a towel bar composed of glass or other vitreous material and more particularly to a novel support or bracket thereforby which the bar may be attached to a wall or other surface.

In a copending application Serial No. 7 5 1,- 705, filed Dec. 9, 1924 entitled Towel bar, I have disclosed a novel. towel bar composed of glass, porcelain or other vitreous, non-corrodible and easily cleaned material, havinga substantial portion adjacent each end bent inwardly at right angles to the body portion of the bar to offset the body of the bar from the wall, each of said inwardly turned ends being supported by a metal bracket secured to the wall and extending outwardly therefrom a short distance. A bead or other form of abutment is formed on each end of the bar engaging against the end of the opening in the bracket and a resilient retaining member is provided in the base of the bracket in engagement with the end of the bar to hold the bar therein in a rigid manner.

The present invention is particularly con- 5 cerned with an improved means for retaining the glass bar in the fixture, one of the objects of the invention being to provide a retaining member which permits easy assembly of the bar and bracket.

Another object is to provide a support for a vitreous article, such as a glass towel bar which will not loosen under usage and which will withstand the heavy weights to which the towel bar is subjected. V

A further object is to provide a support for a glassbar which will grip the bar in a resil ient manner whereby fracture of the bar is eliminated and which at the same time, will firmly support the bar so as to prevent relative movement of the bar and its support.

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In order that the invention will be more fully understood, reference is had to the accompanying drawing, in which,

Fig. 1 is an elevation partly in section of the towel bar, embodying my invention, applied to a wall; 1

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the bracket as viewed from the lower side of'Figure 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the novel retaining member; and,

Fig. 4 shows a modified form of spring retaining member.

In Figure 1 I have shown a towel bar 1 of glass or other vitreous material having in- 1926. Serial No. 119,292.

wardly turned ends 2 and 3 engaging in and supported by a pair of spaced brackets, 41. and

5. Each of the brackets 1 and 5 is composed of a hollow metal shell 6, preferably of nickel plated brass, and a spring retaining member 7, of a strong, resilient metal, such as spring steel, brass, etc. For the sake of appearance the shell is preferably of a flaring conical shape, although it may take other forms without departing from the invention. The base 8 thereof has an annular flange 9 therearound to form a recess 10 in the underside of the shell for the reception of the spring retaining member 7.

The rod or bar 1 has an annular bead or swell 11 formed adjacent each of the inwardly turned ends 2 and 3 which seats against the outer edge 12 of the bracket and is held tightly thereagainst by the spring retaining mem her 7 whereby longitudinal movement of the bar in the bracket is prevented and entrance of dirt and moisture into the interior of the bracket around the bar is precluded. i

The retaining member 7 is in the form of a thin concave annulus having the inner periphery formed with a plurality of spring fingers 13 adapted to engage in a circumferential groove 14 in the end of the glass bar. The

inner portion of the retaining disc 7 is reversely bent so as to project the spring fingers 13 normally in aninwardly and axial direction so that rigidity is given thereto both in an axial and radial direction and so as to permit the disc to be snapped over the end of the glass bar and to firmly grip the same in a resilient manner. The outer edge of the disc is partly cut away as at 15 leaving spaces for the screws 16 by which the fixture is secured to the wall. The retaining disc 7 engages in the recess 10 formed by the flange 9 on the bracket and engages between the upper side of the recess and the groove 14 in "the bar so as to exert a'longitudinal force on the bar to restrain it from longitudinal movement in the fixture. The retaining member also holds the end of the bar centrally in the bracket and formstogether with the outer edge 12 of the bracket, a support at two spaced zones along the bar. This imparts extreme rigidity to the bar and bracket without necessitating the use of non-resilient mechanical gripping of the end of the bar which has a strong tendency to fracture the vitreous material of the bar.

. In assembling the bar and bracket it is only necessary to insert the end of the bar in the conical fixture and snap the spring disc over the end of the bar.

In Figure 4; there is shown a modified form of retaining member which is formed from a continuous length of heavy spring steel or other resilient metal bent so as to form a pair of concentric ring portions 17 and 18, the outer one of which engages in the recess 10 in the bracket and the other of which snaps into the groove 13 in the end of the bar. The inner ring 18 is split, each half terminating in the transverse portion 19 connecting the inner ring withthe outer ring and thereby imparting radial resiliency to the ring 18 so that it strongly grips the end of the bar.

Obviously, other modifications of the spring retaining member may be devised and I do not care to be limited to the precise construction shown and described herein.

lVhat is claimed is:

l. A support for a rod or bar of vitreous material comprising a hollow fixture enclosing an end of the rod, an abutment on the rod engaging with said fixture and a metallic member contained within said fixture having a plurality of radially resilient portions radially gripping the rod adjacent the end thereof and exerting a longitudinal force on the rod to maintain the abutment thereof in close engagement with the fixture.

2. A support for a rod or bar of vitreous material comprising a fixture enclosing an end of the rod, and a metallic member within he fixture, said rod having an abutment thereon spaced from the end thereof and a recess therein adjacent the end, and said metallic member having a plurality of radially and axially resilient portions radially gripping said rodin said recess and exerting a longitudinal force on the rod to retain the fixture in enga ement with the abutment on said rod.

3. A support fora glass bar comprising an enlargement on said bar and a recess therein, a fixture enclosing an end of said bar and abutting against said enlargement and a resilient member having radial resilient portions extending substantially longitudinally of the bar adapted to be applied over the end of said bar with the radial resilient portions engaging in said recess. a

4. A support for a bar of vitreous material comprising a fixture enclosing an end of said bar and an annular member for retaining said bar in said fixture, said retaining member having a plurality of radial resilient longitudinally extending portions 011 its inner periphery engaging the bar, adjacent its end, and exerting a longitudinal force on said bar to prevent it from movement in one direction in said fixture, said bar having means cooperating With the fixture to prevent movement of the bar in the opposite direci tion.

5-. A support for a bar of vitreous material comprising a pair of metallic mei'nbe'rsv fit-' ting over the end of said bar, means for securing one of said members to a Wall, an abutment on the bar against which said member engages, said bar having a recess in which: the other member engages, said latter member having a plurality of resilient portions radially gripping the bar and exerting a. longitudinal force thereon to retain said first member in engagement with said abutm'ent.

6'. A support for a towel bar of readily frangible material comprising a hollow fixture. enclosing an end oi the bar and adapted to be secured to a wall or other surface, a I'QCGSslI'l the base of said fixture, an'a'nnular metallicmember contained within said recess and having" a plurality of radially resilient portions on its inner periphery, said bar hav-' ing an annular groove formed adjacent its en d in which said resilient portionsengage to grip the bar radially and toexert a l"ongitu'-' din'al force on the bar to' retain thesame' in a fixed position in the fixture.

In testimony wl'iereoif, I havehereuntosub scribed my name this 7th day' of June, 1926".

EUSTACHIUS W. KoERm-e. 

